How did the cotton gin have an impact on transportation?

Answer 1

Cotton bolls are transported by first being compacted into modules with a machine called a module builder. A module is kind of like a bale of cotton, except it weighs 10,000 to 20,000 pounds. Once the module is built, it is loaded onto a flatbed truck and hauled to the cotton gin.

(An update: Since I wrote that, JOHN DEERe and IH Case have introduced new cotton pickers that have onboard module builders. The minimodules so produced are round and weigh 5000 pounds. A fully equipped John Deere 7760 cotton picker is nearly $900,000 and you only need it two weeks a year, so many of the guys who have these are contract cotton harvest operators. They like the machine because it dramatically cuts down on the number of workers needed.)

After the bolls are processed into cotton lint, it is compressed into "standard density bales." These can be transported in regular dry vans or railroad boxcars.

When the cotton is spun into yarn, woven into cloth and made into finished goods, it can be transported like any other dry freight is transported.

Answer 2

The cotton gin had mostly an impact on production. Cotton growers had now a choice between either getting the same output using fewer slaves or getting a much higher production using the same number. Many of course chose the latter option. Since cotton was an export product, the enhanced production level meant an extra need of (mostly) river barges to transport the cotton to the coast and then, extra ships to export it all over the world, although largely to Britain.

Answer 3

Cotton was transported by putting the cotton in the box and then having it being sailed over a long time ago now it goes in a truck or plane to where the cotton needs to go.

Answer 4

how is cotton exported from farms into shops?

Answer 5

The cotton gin had no impact on transportation other than the shipping of more bales of cotton. A large number of bales went to England for the textile industry.